Butt out, China tells US

Beijing – China urged the United States yesterday not to “gesticulate” or make irresponsible remarks about governments dropping diplomatic support for self-ruled Taiwan, noting that Washington itself long ago established ties with Beijing.

China’s foreign ministry made the comment after the US state department said on Friday that it had recalled its top diplomats in the Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Panama over those countries’ decisions to no longer recognise Taiwan.

Washington has expressed concern over the rising number of countries that have cut diplomatic ties with self-ruled Taiwan in favour of China, which views the island as a wayward province with no right to state-to-state ties.

El Salvador switched last month, while the Dominican Republic did so in May and Panama made the move last year.

Speaking in Beijing, ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said deciding who to have diplomatic relations with was a sovereign nation’s right and should be respected.

“Other countries have no right to make thoughtless remarks about it or to gesticulate,” Geng told a daily news briefing, when asked about the state department decision to recall the ambassadors.